


Go Not Where I Have Walked My Son

by jesseofthenorth



Series: Where I've walked [1]
Category: Marvel 616, Marvel Avengers Movies Universe
Genre: AU, Angst, Howard Stark Is a Dick, Kid Fic, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-02-15
Updated: 2012-02-15
Packaged: 2017-10-31 05:51:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 844
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/340634
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jesseofthenorth/pseuds/jesseofthenorth
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Steve and Tony have a kid, Tony has issues. Steve has a surprising amount of patience</p>
            </blockquote>





	Go Not Where I Have Walked My Son

**Author's Note:**

> Everything 'Avengers' I am writing is a mash-up of verses because I love the movies as much as I love the comics. That being said, Howard Stark is still a child damaging prick no matter what universe he's in.

Steve tries to talk about Connor starting school until he is blue in the face and hoarse from holding back screams of frustration. The conversation never even gets started. Tony's ability to avoid reaches never before seen heights. He finds ways to hide, or be busy, or surrounded by too many Avengers for such a personal conversation. It goes on for days.

Steve would be impressed all over again by Tony's dedication and ingenuity if he wasn't ready to strangle him.

“Tony!” he finally yells, instantly remorseful. Steve hates the blank look that drops over Tony's face, the way he closes off to protect himself, especially when Steve is the one who causes it.

“We need to talk about school!”

“NO! We don't!” Tony yells back and makes a run for the nearest exit, not noticing, or maybe not caring that it is the middle of the night and New York and a blizzard outside. Steve catches his arm and stops his retreat.

Tony tries to pull away, and when he can't he turns on Steve.

“We are not sending him away! I wont let you! He's mine and I want him here! I can teach him! I'm a genius! Or okay no that would be a really Bad Idea because he would end up knowing everything there is to know about internal combustion and repulsor technology and nanites and nothing about the French Revolution or the Renaissance, which I guess would be okay because the French Revolution! Who the fuck needs that shit now! I mean not that it didn-”

“Tony! Christ! Take a breath” Steve says grabbing Tony's shoulders with out squeezing, holding him steady because now that Steve has his hands on Tony he can feel _tremors_ rattling through his frame. “What do mean “We're not sending him away?” he asks holding on and waiting.

“School” Tony says as if that explains everything.

“ More words Tony. I don't understand.” Steve tells him hoping the gentle mocking will make Tony smile and ground him a little. It doesn't.

“I don't want to send him to school. I would miss him too much ” Tony says in an almost whisper and swallows like his throat hurts “He's too little to be alone all the time.”

That makes no sense to Steve one moment, and in then in another it makes perfect sense and all Tony's frantic avoidance falls  into place with a horrible resounding thud.

 

Steve keeps a picture of Tony in a school uniform at age eight, of only a few surviving pictures of Tony as a child. No one has ever explained the lack of evidence that Tony was once small and vulnerable. Steve keeps the picture in the back of a desk drawer where Tony can't (doesn't have to) see it. The child in that photograph looks sweet and soft and utterly lost.

 

“Tony.” Steve says gently “ I didn't mean _away_. I don't mean that kind of school. Christ. I would never- WE would never send Connor _away_. But he needs more than just us and the Avengers and JARVIS and books. You know that right? He needs other kids and friendships and a bigger life.”

Steve keeps his hands where they are, not holding Tony in place just... holding him. He waits for Tony to think it through.

“But what- what if- they -” Tony stops stuck in place tripping over words the way he does and still Steve waits for him, the way _he_ does.

“What if they are mean to him? Or he gets hurt? Who will take care of him or make him feel better?” Tony dares a look at Steve then. Looking for something he clearly hopes Steve has to offer.

“ _We _will, Tony. Just like always. When he comes home from school,_ every day_ _ _, we will be right here.” Steve waits for some of the tension to fall away from Tony's shoulders and then pulls him into a hug, knowing Tony can take it now, won't be bruised by affection or shut himself away.__

“You can feed him chocolate milk and those horrible marshmallow cookie things you guys love and he can tell us all about it.” Steve thinks back to his mother and the way she always listened to him rattle on about his day when he got home.

Then he thinks about what little he's heard of Tony's school days and thinks, not for the first time “Howard how _could_ you?”

Tony leans his forehead against Steve's shoulder and allows himself to be mollified, comforted even.

 

When Tony can breathe (think) properly again they sit at the table and look at pamphlets and, shockingly, discuss it like adults, until Connor comes in and sees what they are looking at. “SCHOOL!” he screeches at the top of his lungs like it's fucking Christmas, eyes bright with joy and anticipation.

Steve watches Tony watching Connor and his heart aches with pride and admiration when he sees this amazing guy put aside his own mile-high pile of baggage to ask their son “What do you think kid?”


End file.
